Method and apparatus for buttoning upholstery

ABSTRACT

A method of buttoning upholstery comprises attaching a button to a support bearing against the undersurface of the upholstery so that the underside of the button is urged against the wearing surface of the upholstery.

United States Patent 1191 Cooper 1 Dec. 18, 1973 [54] METHOD ANDAPPARATUS FOR 5 2,098,786 11/1937 Mathewson 24/102 T BUTTONINGUPHOLSTERY 2,671,498 3/1954 Stubnitz 5/266 X 3,608,157 9/1971 Molt24/102 T Inventor: J p West gf 1,950,613 3/1934 Katt .1 24/90 B England[73] Assignee: Matramatic Company Limited, I

Bast-0rd Nottingham, England Primary Exammer-Casm1r A. NunbergAltorney-Ralph E. Potter [22] Filed: Dec. 17, 1971 [21] App]. No.:209,313

52 us. 01 5/356, 24/90 TA [57] ABSTRACT [51 1 Int. Cl. A47c 27/00. [58]Field of Search 5/356, 266; A me Of buttoning upholstery comprisesattaching 24/90 TA, 10] T, 101 W, 102 T; 29/91 1 a button to a supportbearing against the undersurface of the upholstery so that the undersideof the button is [56] References Cit d urged against the wearing surfaceof the upholstery.

UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,907,732 5/1933 Burch 24/90 B 4 Claims, 3 DrawingFigures PAIENIEDBEUWISB 3.778.853

SHEET 1 OF 2 FIGJ' PAIENIEUHH: 18 ms 3'. 778,853

SHEET 2 OF 2 FIGS.

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR BUTTONING UPHOLSTERY This invention relates toa method of buttoning upholstery.

Existing methods are time consuming and expensive as they are normallyperformed manually. This invention aims to provide an improved methodwhich is speedy and which can be mechanized.

A method according to the invention of buttoning upholstery comprisesattaching a button to a support bearing against the under surface of theupholstery so that the underside of the button is urged against thewearing surface of the upholstery.

Conveniently a thread is connected to the button, passed through theupholstery and attached to the support.

Conveniently said thread is carried by a reciprocatable needle having acut out portion so that a loop of said thread connected to a button canbe engaged by said portion, the needle passed through the wearingsurface of the upholstery, the loop passed over a portion of the supportwhich engages the loop, and the needle retracted free of said loop.

This invention further includes an article of buttoned upholsterycomprising a button, a support bearing against the undersurface of theupholstery, and connection means passing through the wearing surface ofthe upholstery connecting said button to said support so that theunderside of the button is urged against the wearing surface of theupholstery.

Conveniently said connection means comprises a thread looped through ashank of the button. Preferably said support is resilient and may be forexample a coil spring. The coil of the spring bearing against theundersurface of the upholstery may be of greater diameter than theportion of the spring to which said thread is attached. This portion ofthe spring may be hooked so that the other end of the loop can be passedover the hook.

The invention is illustrated by way of example in the drawingsaccompanying the Provisional Specification in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of an apparatus according to the inventionfor buttoning upholstery in a first stage of operation;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation of the completed buttoned upholstery;

FIG. 3 is a side elevation of a prior art arrangement for buttoningupholstery.

With reference to FIGS. 1 and 2 the apparatus comprises a needlereciprocatable along a path X-X. The needle has a cut out portion 12.The upholstery to be buttoned has a wearing surface 14 and an undersurface 16. A support in the form ofa spiral coil spring 18 bears withits largest diameter coil against the under surface 16 of theupholstery. The spring 18 includes a hooked portion 20 which liesadjacent the path XX. A button 22 has a shank 24 through which is passeda loop 26 of thread. The other end of the loop is engaged by the cut outportion 12.

The upholstery is buttoned as follows:

Initially the position is as shown in FIG. 1. The needle 10 is thenadvanced along the path XX so that it passes through the wearing andunder surfaces 14, 16 of the upholstery. Thus the loop of thread 26 isalso drawn through these surfaces. The forward movement of the needlecontinues until the end of the loop initially engaged by the cut outportion 12 is engaged by the hooked portion 20 of the spring 18. Theneedle is then withdrawn leaving the loop on the hook. The underside ofthe button is now urged against the wearing surface 14 by the biasingforce of the spring transmitted through the loop of thread 26. Thedimensions of the loop and the spring are selected so that the button isurged against the surface 14 to cause a depression in the surface whichgives an aesthetically pleasing effect.

The described operation can be repeated successively either theupholstery or the needle being moved to a new position in order toproduce a multi-buttoned upholstery.

With reference to FIG. 3 in the illustrated prior art arrangement theshank of a button 28 is connected by a thread 30 to a rigid cross member(not shown). Means such as a block of foam rubber are provided at point32 to prevent the button being displaced away from the wearing surfaceif the upholstery is depressed away from the underside of the button.

This method of securing the button to the upholstery is laborious andtime consuming and must be performed manually. In contradistinctionthereto the method according to the invention can be mechanized, issimple and can be performed more rapidly. In addition there is no needto provide a rigid cross-member as the method of the invention providesa support for attachment of the thread which is movable with the wearingsurface of the upholstery.

What we claim is:

1. An article as claimed in claim 10 wherein said connection meanscomprises a thread looped through a shank of the button.

2. An article as claimed in claim 1 wherein the coil of the springbearing against the undersurface of the upholstery is of greaterdiameter than the portion of the spring to which said thread isattached.

3. An article as claimed in claim 2 wherein said portion of the springis hooked so that the other end of the loop can be passed over the hook.

4. A buttoned upholstery article comprising a wearing surface and anundersurface, a button disposed on said wearing surface, a singleresilient spring coil support bearing against said undersurface andhaving its central axis concentric with the center point of said buttonand connecting means securing said button to said coil support wherebythe button is urged against said wearing surface.

1. An article as claimed in claim 10 wherein said connection meanscomprises a thread looped through a shank of the button.
 2. An articleas claimed in claim 1 wherein the coil of the spring bearing against theundersurface of the upholstery is of greater diameter than the portionof the spring to which said thread is attached.
 3. An article as claimedin claim 2 wherein said portion of the spring is hooked so that theother end of the loop can be passed over the hook.
 4. A buttonedupholstery article comprising a wearing surface and an undersurface, abutton disposed on said wearing surface, a single resilient spring coilsupport bearing against said undersurface and having its central axisconcentric with the center point of said button and connecting meanssecuring said button to said coil support whereby the button is urgedagainst said wearing surface.